Factors influencing outcome and length of stay in a stroke rehabilitation unit. Part 2. Comparison of 318 screened and 248 unscreened patients.

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Abstract
A comparison of outcome and length of stay (LOS) between a control group of 248 unscreened patients and a 2nd group of 318 patients, medically and socially screened prior to admission, (all discharged from the same 30 bed stroke unit over a 33 mo. period) showed that preadmission medical neurological and social service screening did not improve overall outcome or reduce length of stay (LOS). A program aimed at identifying and treating perceptual and cognitive dysfunction did improve functional status and discharge disposition in patients having perceptual but not cognitive deficits. A detailed analysis of the factors influencing outcome and LOS confirmed and extended earlier findings that: severe weakness on admission and long onset-admission intervals were adversely related to outcome, as were the presence of perceptual or cognitive dysfunction, poor motivation, a homonymous hemianopsia, multiple neurologic deficits and poor functional status on discharge; and dysphasia, the presence of a hemisensory loss, age (under 80) and/or the presence of ASHD [arteriosclerotic heart disease], hypertension or diabetes were unrelated to outcome. Most patients even those with unfavorable prognostic signs, significantly improved after appropriate treatment programs.